Trepe's Remedy
by Ma-Per-T
Summary: QuisFer.Quistis is broken and thinking dark thoughts. She is interrupted by an unlikely visitor. This is a one shot...it's also my first fic ever so feedback would be nice. Thanks!


Author's Note: If you didn't play FFVIII you'll still understand this one-shot fanfic.

Rating: T for light sexual, low suicidal themes and language.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters; they belong to the makers of _Squaresoft_ and in particular, Yoshinori Kitase, the director of this amazing game.

Trepe's Remedy

A breezy summer night stirred at Balamb Garden. The stars were mute and the wind whispered. The trees below swayed and rustled gently. It was quiet on the upper wings of the massive structure. The exquisite military base was massive and everything in it was state of the art and beautiful all at the same time.

Inside Balamb Garden, the hallways on the upper wings, cradled a deep silence since every cadet had gone celebrating on the main floor. The graduation ball was pulsing with life. Meanwhile, instructor Quistis Trepe was restless in her dorm. One should rather say ex- instructor because the high and mighty Director Cid didn't see her true colours.

_Stupid Xu._ She thought. _Why did she get that promotion? Oh wait, let me see dear Quistis. You are pathetic. You were too weak. I could go on,_ she thought bitterly. _But it really boils down to the fact that I was too nervous to perform the test well. Yeah, you really messed up Quistis. If only you hadn't messed up on you spell incantation. _

So here she was, sprawled on her bed with her shame and disappointment throbbing in her head. She didn't know how long she had been lying awake with that burden on her chest. She was just too fed up with everything. It was really suffocating her into wretchedness. Quistis raised both of her hands and squeezed her skulls, squeezing her eyes shut. Hoping to make it all go away.

So much for adventures…Xu is going to be having all the fun going on top- secret mission. This would mean that Quistis would have to sit tight with every boring day of teaching kids, more like babysitting. Right now, so to speak, Xu is celebrating with all the top cadets. That successful cadet is now part of a team Quistis failed to be part of. Part of a team she will never achieve now. Out of her reach.

On her bed, the blond loosened her grip on her skull, both hands resting by her head. She tilted her face sideways, looking towards her night table solemnly. The alarm clock warned a late night flashing its time in an eerie green glow. She was unconcerned. Time was still. She was only interested in that drawer…. very interested in what laid _inside_ that drawer.

Quistis had attempted the test that afternoon and had placed a false cheerful mask all the rest of the day. Yeah, everyone was convinced that goody-goody Quistis took it oh so very well. She hated it. And now the time has come. In her unpleasant position...her days were outlived now and she was not even twenty.

Frustrated, she turned on her side and punched the mattress with her fist.

It meant so much to her. She didn't want to be an instructor she wanted to aim higher. She felt empty, and torn, as though someone had ripped her into shreds. Her chance at freedom and exciting adventures…. were taken from her. She missed her chance, her opportunity. And after living a single God damned day with her failure still vivid in her mind, she knew that she refused to endure it any further.

She stirred under the blankets once more, lying on her back. She looked up at the ceiling as two trails of pearls made their way down her face. She decided that she could no longer fool herself. She was disgusted with herself in playing such a calm and composed character. Everyone thought she took it so well. Deep down, she sensed pity on their behalf and that was the worst thing of all.

Quistis calmly sat up and hunching over herself to push the covers away, her straight blond hair spilled over her face creating a curtain that hid her pain. She swayed her toned legs over the edge of the bed. Her feet made contact with the cold tiles; shivers crawled up her legs making her briefly shudder.

She flicked her lamp on. The dim light made her long silk royal blue nightdress shimmer. She paid no attention on its effect and sorrowfully pulled the drawer of her night table open. She took out a miniscule, 2-inche glass bottle and set it on the night table. It clanked lightly against the polished wood nightstand.

Staring at its dark and deadly content from across the bed made her depressed for some reason. Quistis knew that the potion was strong enough to take out twenty men permanently from the face of the earth.

She felt the sob coming, so she plunged her face in her pillow and screamed like a tortured animal. The tears overflowed from her blue eyes. They came out slowly as warm crystal but as she buried her face deeper into the soft pillow, they smeared and stained. After being submerged for a while, she lifted her head a few centimetres away from the pillow gasping for breath. The warm tears ran to her mouth and she could taste its salted essence. She shook her head from side to side to rid herself of any remaining weakness. Her arms shakily pushed her away from the bed in a sitting position. This time, she looked at the poisonous glass bottle with more determination. She bent her head to wipe her tears away.

Suddenly, a soft knock at the door made her jump. Her head shot up. She swiftly pounced on the glass bottle but it shattered to the floor in her frantic attempt to hide it.

"Shit." She thought gloomily.

A figure walked in the darkly lit room and closed the door quickly.

"Are you alright Quistis?" asked a deep voice. It was Seifer.

Quistis coughed to clear her throat to hide anything that would betray her solemn state.

"I'm fine Seifer, I just spilled something that's all" she said bending to pick up the broken glass pieces on the wooden floor.

"Let me help" he asked, walking closer to the blonde wearing a nice nightdress.

"No. It's fine," she said flatly, straightening her self and walking by him as though he was not even there.

_Since when did he ever want to help her with anything anyway? Odd._

_And how did he get in?_

Grabbing a towel, she started moping the dark spots on the floor, beside the bed. Her back was to Seifer, she was so self-conscious of her betraying face that she hoped that Seifer didn't notice what she had planed to do to herself that night. She got rid of the remaining evidence.

"Too bad" she thought to herself; "I went through a lot of trouble to get it too."

She was so absorbed in her task at hand that she didn't notice how intently Seifer had been observing her.

Seifer was not wearing his cadet uniform but a white shirt with loose black pants. His green eyes continued to study her curiously.

When she turned to face him, she made sure her back was to the dim night lamp. That way, her eyes would be draped in shadows, and he would never find out. And yet, when she saw him, it was like he was looking inside her very soul. Exposing her buried anguish. It sent shivers down her spine so she hugged her bare arms.

"Why are you here?" she asked emotionless.

"I'm not allowed to go for a midnight walk?" he smiled mischievously.

"At this hour?" she continued apathetically.

Seifer broke eye contact to look past her: "Two o'clock isn't so bad. Besides shouldn't I be allowed to if I was bored?" he said in a nonchalant tone.

"Then shouldn't you be at the graduation ball?" she started taping her bare foot on the floor impatiently.

"What would I do there anyway?" he replied crossing his arms over his broad chest, his green eyes piercing her baby blue ones.

"What do you want?" Quistis asked bitterly, hugging her arms tighter around herself and dropping her head, staring at the floor.

"I wanted to know what you where doing just before I got here?" Seifer asked starting to steer the conversation closer to target, to cut to the chase.

"That's really none of your concern so what do you want?" shooting her head up, she glared at him and yet Trepe's eyes buried a deep torment.

"Cut the crap Quistis." He slashed at her.

She flinched at his words as though Seifer had hit her.

He let out a big sigh, and rubbed the back of his neck. He really was impatient sometimes. Seifer had to work on his temper; he knew that especially when her was around _her_.

"Look Quistis, I'm sorry. I just…wanted to check you out." He said in a rush.

"Excuse me?" she said shaking her head, getting angry now.

"Check on you. Check on you damn it." He articulated more to himself.

"We'll I'm fine so you can go now!" She said loudly.

Seifer was not shot down easily so he took two big steps and he was right in her face.

"People will hear you," he whispered harshly.

"I DON'T CARE! I DON'T FUCKING CARE!" she said shoving him away.

She spun around menacingly. Her remaining patience had evaporated; she was in a state of desperation. She was loosing control of herself since she failed her plan. She worked her ass of to get that strong poison without anyone from the military base knowing. The bottle smashed like everything in her life. Now, Balamb's ultimate troublemaker had come to interrupt her. She frantically wanted him to leave before she would cry again.

_Please Quistis, not in front of him. Don't degrade yourself further…_

No way in hell would she ever be reduced to that.

"People can't hear me," she snapped back "because all the wonderful cadets have gone to the graduation ceremony." She bit sarcastically. "It's going on all night Seifer." She continued. "Haven't you heard? People are having fun. They're all dancing the night away. Laughing at stupid jokes. Drinking very nice wine. And having fun…." by now her voice was breaking, and she quickly covered her mouth to stifle a sob. She spun around to face the wall so he wouldn't see her bawl. Everything was a blur again she couldn't see.

_It's okay_, she told herself. _Your eyes are just watering. Just don't cry and he'll go away _she told herself as her shoulders started trembling.

"Seifer don't." She pleaded desperately, gasping between sobs when she heard him come up behind her. Seifer had the audacity to gently place his hand on her shoulder to draw her to him. Quistis batted his arm away viciously.

"I'm your instructor God damn it, why can't you just follow my orders and get the fuck out!" She yelled.

Seifer took a deep breath to calm down. He really felt like strangling her at that moment. He never knew that she could be such a vixen. He thought it was somewhat sexy.

"Face it Quistis. You're not my instructor anymore." He said firmly.

Quistis turned away and stifled a sob. At that moment, Seifer felt a sharp jab of pain in his chest. The urge to just wrap his arms around her was so tempting but he respected her and kept his distance. It was really hard to do. Every muscle in his body ached for his distressed (and stubborn) blue-eyed maiden. She sniffled. Tilting her head back to shake off the fact that her plan to kill herself had failed miserably she asked Seifer:

"Why aren't you at the graduation ceremony?" she spoke to the ceiling.

"Because I didn't make it." He said honestly.

She spun around. That did it.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" She burst out crying, staring at his surprised face. She was shaking. And her knees weakened and she started to sink to the floor. Seifer caught her before her knees bashed on the cold tiles. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her to her feet: Seifer was a good head taller than the 5'5" blond. He smiled in her hair:

"It really isn't that bad Quistis" he said hugging her.

She buried her face even more in his chest and cried much louder, soaking his white shirt…

_If he only knew what she was about to do to herself._

When she started sniffling and seemed calmer he gently backed her up to the bed and gently lowered her down in a sitting position. She just looked up at him we a glazed over gaze frozen in silent torment.

He touched her face…

For an instant, the soldier fell into temptation. He wanted to lean closer and kiss her. To let his hands roam up and down her body. Seifer wanted to taste her, he really wanted to…

"I'll get you some water." He said getting up. Snapping himself back into reality.

He looked in her fridge. Seifer grabbed a pitcher of water from her small fridge, he looked for a glass all the while she was blowing her nose.

He handed her the glass of water and waited for her to drink until she was satisfied. He sat beside her on the bed. Patiently.

She drained it fast. Too fast. A few drops of water trickled along her open throat. And then, when the glass was drained she began to choke. Seifer instinctively started rubbing between her shoulder blades. Her straps criss-crossed at the back so that his warm hand warmed her cold flesh. Seifer was sending her goose bumps.

Quistis soon stopped coughing and Seifer pulled his hand away immediately as fast as he had placed it initially, as if her skin had burned him.

He took the empty glass from her. He leaned across the bed, over her body, to set the glass on the single night table that was beside her bed.

"It's late." Seifer remarked after quickly eyeing the alarm clock.

She was still sitting up, not saying a word. Her blue eyes mute, and her straight, long blond hair tumbled over her shoulders like a halo of light.

The young cadet shyly touched her still moist lips with his thumb and with his fingertips lightly touched her cheek. Quistis slowly turned to look up at him.

"Good night Quistis" he whispered before leaning over to kiss her.

The soldier's warm lips came into contact with the girl's soft ones. Quistis closed her eyes and responded by wrapping her arms around his sculpted shoulders. Seifer did not find her comfortable where she sat so he moved his hands down…. down…down… to her waste. Quistis instinctively moved her hands there: She was really ticklish on the sides. Either way, the green-eyed rebel had already beaten her there. He easily swooped her unto his lap.

Straddling Seifer, Quistis fully face him. He kissed her again but this time, she kissed him back. Hard. The light-haired girl started to moan when he started caressing her back. She opened her mouth slightly and Seifer could taste her. Quistis slowly thrusted herself inside his mouth and then he broke the embrace to explore.

He trailed kisses down her neck and Quistis only pulled herself closer by wrapping her strong legs around him. Seifer didn't protest of course, he even helped. The cadet was careful when he picked her legs from under her knees since they were still bruised and cut from the training she did that day. Seifer was fascinated by her high tolerance for pain.

Quistis' heart was racing when Seifer had nestled himself in the crook of her neck. His lips were brushing at her tender flesh making her breath heavily. She felt dizzy, she was loosing control again but in a different sense so she let her hands go up to his neck and started tracing kisses along his strong jaw. She could feel one of his hands wander from her waste upwards. Quistis moved her lips to his neck and smiled in his tender flesh for what would happen next: Seifer cupped one of her breast and she bit him in revenge.

Seifer stiffened from beneath her and groaned. The blue-eyed vixen smiled to herself because she liked this newfound power. She moved her hands to his tones chest and felt his rapid heartbeat all the while she nibbled gently at his left earlobe. Her breath was no longer erratic but his was starting to be.

She daringly slipped her hands under his shirt. Her bare flesh was now fully in contact with his rippled one. Seifer found the sensation so wild that it felt like flames licking at his throbbing torso. He grabbed the girl by the wrists, his breath came out in a jagged whoosh.

"Sorry Quistis, but I should go," he rasped in short breaths.

_Seifer may be a rebel but that was not the way he wanted to take advantage of her. She was that important to him._

Her blue eyes were huge; the pupils seemed diluted like large pools. He saw a look on her face that he had never seen before.

"Please stay. With me" she whispered softly.

Quistis was so imploring that he could not dare tell whatever small part of a heart he had "no."

He slid her under the blankets while he laid above them, beside her. He flicked off the lamp, and she snuggled closer.

After lying there for quite some time. Quistis suddenly spoke:

"I didn't lock the door."

"Don't worry, it was locked ever since I got here" he smiled in the dark.

He was answered with a hard punch on the shoulder. Quistis was proud of herself to hear him growl. While he flexed and rubbed at his forearm she whispered sharply:

"You are a jerk you know that? You really had other intentions didn't you Mr. Almasy."

"Don't worry, I seriously didn't think it would go that far. Let's just sleep," he suggested huskily. She purred in agreement, burning all of her dark, dangerous thoughts behind. As nightfall set in around them, the darkness veiled them in a comfortable reverie. Safe. Quistis was safe with her guardian.


End file.
